Meetings Planned To Discuss Transportation Issues

September 06, 2003|By KIMBALL PAYNE Daily Press

Age, race, gender and income don't seem to matter.

Ask anyone about getting around Hampton Roads by car, bus or bike and they'll have an opinion.

During four open meetings across the area, people will have a chance to share those opinions face-to-face with the government and transportation officials who will make decisions about the next 23 years of transportation projects in the region.

The meetings, hosted by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, will feature long-range plans and representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, Hampton Roads Transit and Williamsburg Area Transport, as well as officials from each city.

The region's long-range road-building plan -- officially called the Hampton Roads 2026 Regional Transportation Plan -- has been a topic of debate for more than two years.

"You'd have to be under a rock for the past year not to understand the transportation issues," said Dwight Farmer, the commission's deputy executive director. At these meetings, "citizens will have direct access to government and transportation officials."

The four meetings will be run in an open house format to allow people to spend as little or as much time as they want asking questions and reviewing each agencies' initiatives.

The commission will provide copies of the plan along with pamphlets describing how the projects are funded, a sheet for comments and a wish list of projects that would not fit into the tight budget.

"It's more about what we're not going to be able to build, and the region has an enormous number of projects over the next 23 years that won't be built," said Farmer.

"Plans used to be about what you can do. Plans now are about what you can afford."

Turnout was low for the first meeting Thursday in Virginia Beach because of heavy thunderstorms and the chaos of the first week of school.

The next meeting is scheduled for 3-7 p.m. Monday at the Heritage High School cafeteria in Newport News.

The commission will host similar meetings in Suffolk on Wednesday, Williamsburg on Thursday and finally in Norfolk on Monday, Sept. 15.

"We shouldn't be more than 15 minutes away from everybody," said Framer. "I don't know how more transparent you can make it."

WHEN AND WHERE ARE THE MEETINGS?

The four transportation meetings that will be held by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.